Perry Mason the birth of Perry Jr and a murder
by susan cousineau
Summary: This story is going to have some big things happen at the Mason household, but as always there will be an investigation and murder. The baby will be born on May 21 st Raymond Burr's birthday.
1. Chapter 1

Eric Reed was busy getting ready for a very happy occasion. He had always wanted to be a professional photographer and five years ago he had gone to Hallmark School of Photography. He now had a job that he liked and today he was going to do photography for the famous lawyer Perry Mason and his wife. They had adopted a little girl and there was going to be a celebration at one of the most prestigious restaurants in town the Kavanaugh.

He was going to take pictures and videos, but the main focus was going to be on the little girl who had been adopted Sally. He was bringing his wife along to help him, as the job was going to be so large.

Meanwhile, Della had gone to Lori's house to work on the surprise party. She had never realized how hard it was to hide something from an inquisitive little girl. Sally was smart and always wanted to know what was going on in the house. Even with her working in the office, it had been hard to keep things quiet.

But today daddy had told Sally that they were going to have a daddy daughter day and Sally had been very happy about that. They were going to be going swimming and Paul and his son were coming over. She kissed her mom good-bye and went to the den to be with her dad.

Sally loved her daddy and the feel of him next to her. She hugged him and then set back to watch a cartoon. That was when she heard the doorbell ring. Sally jumped up to answer the door and let her Uncle Paul and her friend Paul Jr in. She was a little disappointed that the baby wasn't coming over, but her dad had explained that when babies are first born they need to stay at home for a while. He told her that Aunt Sue needed to get a lot of rest too. So she was glad that her friend Paul could come over anyways. The two friends went into the backyard and the dad's sat out on the patio to keep an eye on them.

As Della pulled into the house that had once belonged to her, she thought of how she missed it sometimes. The house was a small home, but it had been her and Lori's home for about five years. As she got out of the car and reached into the back seat to get some things Lori came out to help her.

Mike had been in the back when Della had pulled up. He hurried out to help the two sisters. They were both now very pregnant and he did not want to have anything happen to them or their babies. Della had all kinds of things for the party and there was going to be a large crowd.

She had invited a few of Sally's school friends and a couple of friends from the neighborhood. She had been careful to make sure that there was going to be boys there, for Paul Jr. She did not want him to be the only boy. Her parents were already here and were so excited to meet the little girl. Dave, Perry's brother had come in the night before as were Perry's mother and father. Dave had met Sally, but her mother and father in law had not and they were looking forward to meeting her very much.

As Lori and Della got the party favors ready they laughed and joked. Sue insisted on coming over and the baby was there in the kitchen sleeping peacefully next to them. Both Lori and Della could not wait for their babies to be born either. But they did not have long to wait and right now they were celebrating the adoption of Sally.

The two of them worked on everything for the entire morning. They talked to the manager at the Kavanoughs and everything was all set for the next day at one. As the day wound down they called the guys and everyone decided to come over for a barb-q.

Mike put everything for the party in the back of Della's car and they waited for the men to come on over. As the three men and the little girl that had been their life for the past few months came in Della just smiled. Sally was carrying a bag of chips with some dip and gave it to her. "This is for the barb-q." she told her.

Della smiled and gave the little girl a hug. Sally saw the baby and ran right over to her, but Della caught her by the arm and told her "Don't disturb the bay. You can look but you cannot touch without first asking Aunt Sue or Uncle Paul, all right?" she told her.

The barb-q was fun and now they had three children to enjoy their time with. Everyone had such a good time and the food was all gone. Sally helped bring in the dirty dishes and cleaned them off before Della and Lori put them in the dishwasher. Sue was tired and the Drake's went home early.

The Mason family stayed until about eight and then went home themselves. Perry enjoyed the barb q more than he had thought that he would. He knew that his parents and brother would be in town soon for the party and he could not wait.

As they put Sally to bed, they went into the study where they could talk and watch Sally as she slept. Della sat next to her husband and smiled at him. He was such a kind man and he really did love their little girl. "Everything is ready for the party tomorrow. We have about seventy people coming including fifteen children. We will all be meeting at Kavanough's at eleven to help set up for the party. Both your mom and my mom will be there to help. I am so glad that they have accepted Sally into their lives." and gave him a big hug.

They had a photographer to do the party and lots of food. The Kavanough had done them right many times, and they were sure that this party was going to be a good one. Della had been contacted by Mary Lawrence who was the society column writer for the local paper. This was going to make the society page.

The next day all of the women met together to put up the party favors and get everything ready for the party. They hung streamers and took a look for the first time at the large adoption cake. It was going to be a lot of fun. Perry's mother and Della and Lori's mother both worked hard and helped out a lot. They both could not wait to meet their new grandchild.

Meanwhile Perry was busy at home with the twenty questions? "Why isn't mommy home? Do I have to wear a party dress? Are we going to the Kavanough without mommy? Where will we meet?" she asked.

Perry smiled down at her, and fixed her hair. "So many questions and such a little girl. We are going to have lunch at the Kavanough and yes mommy will be there. Now, come on we don't want to be late."

As the group of people started to arrive, Della was pleased at the turnout. Everyone who had been invited was there and there were plenty of children to make Sally more comfortable. She got the call from Perry that they were on their way upstairs and everyone got ready for the grand entrance.

Sally was holding her daddy's hand when they walked in the room and everyone yelled surprise. Sally was a big girl and did not want to cry, but the tears came anyways. It was wonderful she was really special she not only had a birthday, but she had an adoption day.

As she met her grandparents for the first time, she liked them. They were nice and grandpa Mason looked just like her daddy. She played games and blew out the candle that was on the cake. She had two hot dogs a lot of chips. She also had a big piece of cake.

The man kept coming over and taking pictures. Mr, Reed was always flashing his camera and Sally smiled for every one of them. As the party started to come to an end Sally thanked everyone for their gifts and invited them to come over and see her and her mommy and daddy anytime.

A lady named Mrs. Lawrence had talked to her about how her life was now. She had talked to her about her birth mommy and daddy. She missed them both so much, but she had been lucky and found the Mason's. The lady has smiled at her as she had watched Sally go over and play with the other children.

Sally looked at all of the gifts that she had gotten. She had a ton of new clothes and some video games. She also got gift certificates from people. It had been just like Christmas and she kissed her mommy and daddy thank you. She also made a special point of kissing and thanking her grandparents Uncle Dave Uncle Mike and Uncle Paul, and then kissed Aunt Loir and Aunt Sue. Paul Jr and Sally had their hands full as they helped carry the things down. They had become the best of friends and everyone smiled as the party ended.


	2. Chapter 2

The party was over and Perry and Della had the nanny at the house. Life was good. Perry and Della went to the office and went to work on a breaking and enter case. Their client was innocent and Perry was going to be going to court for the next day. There were many briefs to be filled out and preparations made for the presentation to the jury.

The jury had been chosen this past week. It consisted of four women and two men. Perry Mason was sure that he could prove that his client was innocent. There was never enough time for him to cover all the cases that he was requested to cover and his days were always full.

Eric Reed was working at his home with his photography equipment and the pictures that he and his wife had taken at the adoption party. He had done lots of parties for all kinds of things, but this party had been the best. Everyone was so happy and the guest of honor little Sally Mason had been a trouper. She had sat still for all the photos and smiled for every shot.

Eric and his wife Nancy had been very excited to see the lady from the society page Mrs. Lawrence. If she used some of the photos that he had taken for the newspaper people would see his work and it might bring him business. He heard the doorbell and went out to answer the door. At the door was his brother in law Brain.

Brian had always been trouble and was always asking for money. Eric let him to the house, but not happily. As Brian came in and used the shy shuffle Eric knew that he was looking for money. Nancy wasn't home and so he was being forced to talk to him. This time the man needed five thousand dollars. This was a huge amount, as he usually only needed a couple of hundred.

Eric looked at him and told him that he didn't have that kind of money. Eric practically begged him "I know that Nancy and you just did a photo shoot for the famous lawyer Perry Mason and he paid you a lot of money. I can pay you back in a couple of weeks." he promised.

This was too much for Eric. Now, Brian was asking to come to them for money anytime he and Nancy made money doing photography? This was too much . With a swift move, Eric opened the door and showed Brian how to use it. He had it. It was time that he learned that he had to make his own way in his life.

When Nancy got home later Eric told her of what had happened. She knew that her brother was always broke and five thousand dollars would eat their entire bank account up. They had to take care of themselves, and for once she agreed with her husband. When she saw Brian she would explain everything to him once again. She loved him, as he was her only brother, but something had to be done.

But that night as Nancy and Eric had feared, Brian came back. He said that he had a chance to go in on a small business at the marina where he and his friend would run a clam shack. It was true that Brian had worked the past five years at the same clam shack, and it was probably a good investment, but five thousand dollars was a lot of money.

When Brian left that night, Nancy and Eric had a huge argument and they finally agreed that they would loan Brian half of the money. If he did not pay them back, it would be Nancy who would have to make the money good, or Eric would get the motorcycle that he had always wanted.

Eric had known that it was a lost cause. He knew that his wife was going to give the money to Brian and he had been right. But, there was a chance that the business would work out, and he would be paid back for once.

Brian came over that evening and thanked his sister and brother in law for the loan. He had needed at least twenty-five hundred and the extra would have helped with the establishment of the business, but he was all right. He called his friend Tammy and told her that he had the money and the two of them got together to work out the details of the partnership that they were planning to form.

As the two partners got together and wrote down their agreement, Brian relaxed. He hoped that at twenty-five he would finally be able to settle down and make some serious money. He was sick and tired of living hand to mouth and always having to borrow money to make ends meet. What he hated most was practically begging his brother in law Eric and his sister Nancy.

Tammy and Brian worked for two straight weeks getting the shack ready for the opening weekend. They were all set and everything was turned on when his sister Nancy and her husband came over to see how the clam shack was coming.

Both of them were impressed , the shack was right on the beach and it had been cleaned top to bottom. The board of health had been out and had given them a certificate so that they could open the following day. They had met Tammy before from when they had worked at the clam shack. The business had been there on the beach for over ten years, but the owner had just recently retired. He and his wife had moved to Arizona.

Brian was at the clam shack alone that evening when he found out that he was short on some supplies. The opening day was going to be in two days and he was out of money. He had no money at all and he was going to need at least two hundred dollars worth of items. He called Tammy, but there was no hope, she was strapped also. So it was decided that they each would come up with one hundred dollars.

Brian didn't want to do it but once again he called his brother in law Eric. "I can't open the shack without these supplies. I thought that it would be all right, but the supplier will only take cash. This money should be able to be paid back on Monday, if we do good over the weekend." Brain begged his brother in law.

Poor Nancy was out working overtime to come up with extra money and here was Eric giving out more money to her brother. But, he agreed to give him the money and headed over to the clam shack.

As Eric went to the beach and saw Brian's car there. When he walked up to the shack he called his name, but heard or saw nothing. It was not until he looked over the counter top that he saw Brian's legs. As he walked over to him, Eric could see that he was dead. Brian had been shot. He couldn't believe it and was just getting ready to call the police when he saw two police cars pulling up. The police yelled at him to freeze, as without thinking he had picked up the gun.

Eric was arrested there on the spot. Someone had called the police reporting the sound of gunfire and Eric had been caught holding the gun. He needed a lawyer. He needed Perry Mason,


	3. Chapter 3

Living at the Mason household was like living at a doctors. You never knew when the phone would ring and there was an emergency. Perry and Della had just laid down in bed when the phone rang. It was the answering service. Eric Reed the man that they had used for a photographer at Sally's party had been arrested for murder.

Perry got right up and headed to the too familiar police station to see what had happened to make the police think that Eric had killed a man. He did not know Eric very well, but he had been highly recommended by a friend of his and his work had been excellent.

As Perry came into the interrogation room he saw Eric sitting at the desk. He looked tired, and confused. Perry Mason took a seat and asked him to tell him everything.

Eric had never been inside a police station and was very nervous. He told Mr. Mason about the loan that he had given his brother in law and how he had needed a little more money and that he had gone to his brother in laws new restaurant to give it to him. He had not seen or heard anyone as he came, and he had found Brian lying behind the counter. Foolishly he had picked up the gun, and that was when the police came.

Perry thought for a few moments and told him not to say anything at all to the police unless he was in the room with him. "There will be a bail hearing in the morning and I will be there. Don't worry" he told him.

'Don'g worry' Eric thought to himself as he was led to a cell where he would be spending the night.

Nancy had returned home to work to find her husband gone. When the phone had rung, her heart died. Her brother, the troubled brother who was finally going to try and make an adult of himself, was murdered and her husband was charged with the murder. He had told her not to worry that he had called Perry Mason, and that Mr. Mason would meet them at the courthouse in the morning.

It was after midnight when Della heard the sound of Perry's car pulling into the driveway. She had not been able to sleep and knew that they had a lot of work ahead of them. She had already done everything that she could do to prepare for court. It was now time for Perry to do his job.

As Perry came into the kitchen Della was there with a passionate kiss and a strong cup of coffee. He was tired and wanted to go to bed, but he had to get ready for court in the morning. He held his wife for several long moments and then took the coffee with a smile.

The two of them started to go into the study when a knock came on the door. It was their friend Paul Drake. Della had called him and he had been over at the crime scene looking to see what he could find out.

Della and Perry went with him to the study where they could discuss everything that had happened that night. The study was on the other side of the house, and Sally would be less apt to be woken up if they talked in there.

As Perry took a seat behind his large oak desk, he saw that Della had been very busy. She had called Paul and filled out all of the necessary papers for court in the morning. He looked up at Paul and asked him if he heard anything while he was out at the beach.

Paul had taken a seat in front of his two friends and took out his trusty notebook. "They did find one person who had been out walking their dog around the time of the murder. Her name is Geraldine Mockler. She said that she heard two people arguing. She did not see anything, but it was two men. Also the gun belonged to Brian. He had just bought it a few weeks ago. Right now I have some men looking into Brian and what he was up to before he went to his sister and brother in law to borrow the money."

"Good Paul, thanks for the information." Perry told him.

"I think that this could be a tough case." Paul told him.

The next morning Sally came down to the breakfast table in high spirits. She was the breath of fresh air that the Mason household needed that morning. Jen the nanny was making bacon and eggs and smiled at her as she came in. Perry and Della had been up most of the night working on the new murder case and were glad to have breakfast ready for them.

This morning Jen was going to be taking Sally to school, because of court and as they said their good-byes Della felt a moment of loneliness. 'How Sally has affected me. Now for Perry Jr. she thought as she put her hand on her now large and protruding belly.

As the three friends met at the courthouse they saw Eric's wife Nancy. She looked as if she had not slept much the night before either. Della put her arm around the lady and told her not to worry. "We will find out who the real murderer is and get justice for your brother and your husband."

It was all that Nancy could do not to start crying again. She had spent the entire night crying, but she smiled at Della and walked up the stairs to the courtroom. Nancy looked around at the cold feeling courtroom. It was a large room with large windows on either side of the benches were the witnesses and defendant would sit. She saw the man who was going to be prosecuting her husband talking to Mr. Mason. They seemed cordial enough.

Nancy had heard of Hamilton Burger. He was tough and had a good track record on finding people guilty. But, when he was in court with Mr. Mason he usually lost and she hoped that this would be the case with Eric. As she stood up to see the judge enter the room, it was all she could do to stand still and not throw up.

The court lasted a short time, just over a half an hour and Eric Reed was granted bail, but Nancy would need to come up with one hundred thousand dollars, and she did not know where to go to find it.

Perry Mason smiled at her, and told her "Go to the bank I am sure that they will give you the bail money if you use your home as collateral."

Nancy went to the bank and with some promises and her mother putting up twenty thousand dollars Eric was a free man on bail.


	4. Chapter 4

It was finally time for Lori's shower. Della and Sue, with the help of Sally had been working on it for weeks. It was going to be at the Kavaough's as the other showers had been at. Sally had made little pictures to put around the room and they looked very good. She was actually a good artist and she was pleased that her mom had let her hang them up for her Aunt Lori and Uncle Mike.

But today grandma and grandpa Street were coming over to stay at their house. Sally couldn't wait and she had spent the morning helping her mom get the guest room ready for them.

Perry had been downstairs in the study working when he had heard the doorbell ring. He heard Sally as she ran down the stairs and welcomed his mother and father in law into the house. Della's parents were very nice people and he came out to greet them.

Sally was picked up by her grandfather and she gave him a big hug. She then went right to her grandmother's arms and hugged her too. Perry came out to see Della coming down the stairs. The poor lady could barely walk anymore. She had gotten very big and the baby was obviously due at any time. He smiled as she hugged and kissed her mother and father.

Perry took their bags and brought them up to their room. But ahead of them was Sally, who ran ahead. She showed them the room with pride . "I helped my mom fix it up. Do you like it?" she asked them.

"It is beautiful. Thank you Sally her grandmother told her."

After looking around the room once more Sally was satisfied that everything had been done right and she excused herself to go to her room and get ready for the party that they were going to have at one o'clock that afternoon. As she was fixing her hair her mom came into the room. Sally could dress herself, but she loved how her mom fussed with her hair and made sure that everything was perfect.

Lori was at home and had a feeling that this was the day of her shower. Della had invited her and Mike to come and eat at the Kavanough Restaurant. But, she would have been hurt if Della and Sue hadn't done something for her. After all, she had the restaurant reserved for three weeks from now. That was going to be the day of Della's shower. Sue and she had been working on it on and off for the past couple of weeks.

Mike came into the kitchen to find Lori at the sink. He knew that this was the day of her shower. The room was ready for their baby and he wondered where his parents were. He had called their house phone and gotten no answer. Perhaps they were going to be staying at Della and Perry's house.

Mike's parents had been offered a room at the Mason household, but had declined. It was not that they did not like the Masons. As a matter of fact they were very fond of them, but they knew that Della was pregnant also and that they had just adopted a little girl. They also knew that her parents would be staying there and they thought that it was just too much to ask.

As Della and Sue fixed the banquet room up for the shower Sally proudly hung her pictures. Perry and Paul held things and reached things that Della and Sue couldn't reach and by twelve thirty everything was ready. People starting arriving just ten minutes later and there was a big crowd.

Everyone was excited about the little Drake baby and Paul Jr and Sally showed her off proudly. The shower was a big success and everyone had a good time.

That day Eric was home. He was technically free but he was out on bond and he could not leave the city. Someone had murdered his brother in law and he was determined to find out who. It was a terrible time for him and his wife. She had just lost her brother and they would be going to the funeral home on Monday.

Paul got home from the shower tired. He helped his wife get the baby into the nursery and gave something for Paul JR to eat. He was going to take a short nap and then get ready for this evening. He was going to watch the home of Tammy Wilson. She was going to be Brian's partner in the business.

Tammy was going to keep the business going. Paul had been there the day before and had found the business to be open and flourishing. There was a photo of Brian in his honor posted in it. Paul had talked to her and she said that she had no choice but to open the doors that day. There was food that had been bought and she had absolutely no money. All of her money had been spent on the business. She had said that she was going to give half the profits to Brian's brother in law to help pay for the funeral.

Paul had thought that Tammy was just a little too upset about the whole thing. He thought that she might be putting on an act and he would like to keep an eye on her.

Back at the Mason house the extended family was enjoying time together. It was not very often that they got to spend the time together. Tomorrow Della had said it would be all right if Sally had a grandpa and grandma day and so Sally agreed to go up to her room early. She couldn't wait to spend time with her grandparents.

Perry went back into his office and called Paul. Paul told him about his plans and Perry agreed that it sounded like a good idea. Paul promised that he would call if anything happened.

Once more it was quiet at the Mason household as everyone climbed into bed looking forward to more mystery in the morning.


	5. Chapter 5

Paul Drake met with his friend Perry at his house and headed out to do some nighttime observation. Della did not mind spending some time with her parents. She did not get much time with them and they would be headed back home tomorrow.

The three of them went out to the patio and sat there just enjoying the quiet. Della's parents were very happy with their daughter's life. But they did not want to say anything. They were going to be out to LA once again in just three weeks fro Della's shower. Della and Lori were both getting very large and they were going to be the proud grandparents of two brand new babies soon.

Sally was their granddaughter legally and emotionally. She was a good kid and they were looking forward to spending the day with her. Their plane was not going to be leaving until seven so they would have most of the day to spend with her.

But Perry and Paul were once more sitting outside of a suspects house. They sat back for a long night, when they noticed that they were not the only people watching the house. There was another car with a man in it just sitting there.

The two friends decided to walk by the car and as they did, they took a glance inside. The man inside was not a police man he was another private detective. His name was Tom Jones and Paul knew him well. He was a less than respectable member of the private detective community. Tom rolled down the window when he saw Paul Drake and Perry Mason and asked them "What brings you here on this night?"

Paul just shook his shoulders and then Tom offered some information "This Tammy character is something else. My client wants to know where she came up with the money for this clam shack that she was opening. She and the guy that got murdered were a couple of real winners."

Paul and Perry just shook their heads in agreement and went back to their cars. The night was quiet and no one came or left. Something told Paul that Tammy knew that she was being watched. She probably had been on the phone, though. There had been lights on in the living room, but they had now gone out. After the other private detective left the two friends called it a night.

When Perry got up the next morning, he heard Della in with Sally. She was getting their daughter ready to go out with her parents for the day. Sally was very excited and was going to show grandpa and grandma the new mall that was just down the street.

As the three of them headed to the mall Sally was told that they were going shopping for the shower. But she had to keep it a secret and not tell mommy or daddy. Sally was so happy that everyone trusted her not to say anything and she smiled as they pulled into the store where she and her mom had gone to buy things for Aunt Lori's baby. They had gone there for Aunt Sue and Uncle Paul too. 'This must be the best baby place around.' Sally thought to herself.

Sally got to chose whatever she wanted for her new baby brother. She chose him the cutest little blanket and short set. It was hot there and Perry Jr was coming just at the beginning of the summer. Grandpa bought many things for both of the grandchildren and Sally had fun. She thought that it was time to go when grandma smiled at her and said "Now it is time for us to take you for your presents" grandma told her.

Sally was so happy, and she and her grandparents went down the hall to some of the shops. She chose out a couple of outfits and then they were done. She promised them that she would not tell her parents about the gifts for her brother and as they pulled into her yard she jumped out of the car.

Della and Perry had been working on the murder case all day. They had found out some information about Tammy and yes she was in debt also. She owed everyone who would be willing to give her anything. She had a boyfriend who had not held a job in over three years. He drank and was known to beat her.

So they had decided to look into him. His name was Lyle Walker. He was thirty-one and was known to hang up at some of the less than respectable bars in town. He liked his women and liked to gamble. He and another woman Lisa were known to be seen together on many nights. He was cheating on Tammy, there was no question about it.

When they heard the sound of the kitchen door opening, Perry and Della got up to see Sally and her grandparents coming in the door. Della smiled at her parents as she gave Sally a hug. Sally showed them what her parents had bought her and Della smiled. Her parents were spoiling Sally, but that was all right. The three ladies went up the stairs and put the new things away.

But it was time for Grandma and Grandpa Street to leave for the airport. Everyone said good-bye and the Mason household was quiet once again. After Sally went to bed Perry and Della went to work in the study once again.

Tom Jones had been watching Tammy and was once again outside of her home. That was when he saw Tammy leave in a hurry. As he followed Tammy she went straight to a bar. There she went inside, he followed her and took a seat at the bar. He could see Tammy in one of the booths arguing with a woman. It was Lisa the woman that Tammy's boyfriend Lyle had been cheated with.

With no warning Lyle showed up and he waked right up to the booth. He grabbed Tammy and took her right out of the bar. Tammy left in tears and Lyle went back into the bar and took a seat at the booth. The two of them Lyle and Lisa started to make out right there in front of Tom. With that he decided to go back and watch Tammy's house again.

But before he could leave the bar Tammy came back into the bar and threw many items at Lyle who was still at the booth, and ran out. Lyle laughed and went back to making out with Lisa.


	6. Chapter 6

This was some great stuff and Tom knew that Paul Drake was good for a chunk of change for this kind of information. He called Paul, who agreed to meet with him. With the exchange of fifty dollars Paul was told what had happened at the bar.

As soon as Tom left Paul thought that it would be a good idea to go back to Tammy's house and then thought twice no he thought that he would go over to Lisa's house. He had her name and address now and was curious as to where Lyle was spending the night.

Paull waited outside of the home and watched as Lisa went into her house alone. He was thinking that perhaps Lyle had gone back to Tammy's when Lyle pulled up. Lyle walked up to the house like he belonged there and knocked hard on the door. He was yelling at Lisa to let him in and the lights came on in many of the apartments at the building. Lisa did not answer the door.

That was when he saw Lyle on his cell phone and could see that he was making several calls and by the anger on his face, no one was answering the phone for him. Lyle sat in the front of the house for over an hour before leaving.

Paul followed him over to Tammy's house where the door was not opened willingly for him either. He sat in the driveway waiting for morning, Paul thought. Paul stayed at the home and watched the house, where there was no movement at all.

But when morning came Tammy must have seen Lyle's car in the driveway because the police showed up at their house just after seven. They made Lyle move on. He argued with them that this was his house, but he was not on the lease and he had to leave.

Paul followed the man to a local bar and went into the bar with him. The bar was a real dive and one of the few bars that opened at eight in the morning. Paul took a seat at the bar and watched and listened as Lyle ran his mouth about his girl and how she had kicked him out.

"The bitch got mad at me after all that I have done for her. If it wasn't for me she wouldn't have a business or a place to stay. I even got rid of her partner for her." he bragged.

Paul almost gave himself away with that remark. He nearly spilled the drink in his hand. "Was this a confession? Did he murder Brian Marcus?"

But Lyle kept on bragging that he had a fight with Brian at the clam shack that night and the guy was scared stiff of him. He had read in the paper the following day that someone had killed him. Someone had done him the favor he laughed.

'So it appeared that Lyle might not be the murderer, but Paul wasn't sure. He could have realized that he was bragging in front of strangers and backed off.

Paul turned to him and said "Is that the murder of the guy at the clam shack? I heard about that" Paul was hoping that Lyle would give him more information.

Lyle turned and smiled at him "Yeah my gal is his partner or was. He was a jerk and owed everyone including Tammy money. The two of them were always fighting acting as though they were the ones who were married or something. He was nothing to me." Lyle bragged to him.

Paul had wondered if Brian had owed Tammy any money and now he knew. He was going to have to look into that a little further. But, he watched as Lyle left the bar and walked down the street to a dive of a hotel. Paul watched as he got a room from the desk clerk.

With that Paul gave Perry a call. Perry had just gotten into the office when Della had answered the phone. It was Paul and he told him of what had happened that night. Perry was under the same thoughts that Paul had. He didn't disregard Lyle totally as a suspect, but he was interested in Tammy and her problems with Brian the man that was going to be her business partner.

As Della and Perry discussed what Paul had found out Lori had gotten up not feeling very good. She was not in any pain or anything, she just felt a little drained. As she took a seat at the kitchen table, she thought about the baby that was now overdue. She hoped that her not feeling good was a sign of things to come, when without warning her water broke. She ran to the bathroom to take care of herself and called Mike. Michael Junior was on the way.

Mike had just arrived at work that morning and headed straight home. He did not want Lori alone and wanted to be there for the whole birth experience. Lori called the doctor and they told her to wait until the contractions started and were less than five minutes apart if she could. But, labor should start soon.

Della had just taken her seat at her desk when Lori called her. Della was so excited and she told Lori to keep her posted. Della went into Perry's office and told him the news.

Perry was glad to hear that he was soon going to be an uncle. Della called Jen their nanny to let her know that they might not be home at the regular time that night. She told her that Lori's baby was on the way and then Della sat down to work. She was nervous and not getting much done, when Lori called she was on the way to the hospital.

Della could not concentrate on her work, but knew that Mike and Lori would let her know as soon as the baby was born. Perry and Della had a lot of work to do and with the information that now had they were waiting anxiously to hear from Paul also.

As they closed the office that evening and went home Sally was waiting anxiously to hear anything about the baby. Della explained that sometimes having a baby takes a long time, and she promised that Sally would be one of the first to know when little Mike was born.

Perry and Della worked in the study and it was just a little after ten when the phone rang. Michael Jr had been born he weighed in at eight pounds ten ounces and was twenty inches long. Lori sent her a picture of her holding the baby to her through her phone.

Della and Perry hugged they were an aunt and uncle and soon would have a baby of their own. They would be going to meet their nephew in the morning.


	7. Chapter 7

Della and Perry knew that Sally was very anxious about the baby and so they each left the studio together to go and tell her the news. They found Sally in the family room with her nanny Jen playing a game. As soon as she saw her mommy and daddy, she asked "Is the baby here? Did Aung Lori have the baby?"

Della smiled at her little girl and took out her phone. She showed Sally the picture of Michael Junior and Lori at the hospital. Sally yelled "yippee! When can I go and see him?"

Della smiled at her little girl and said "Lori will be home in a couple of days and then we will all go over together. But, Lori said that you could call her tonight after supper, ok Della told her.

"Yes. Thank you."

Right after dinner Sally called Aunt Lori and Uncle Mike. She was such a kind person. She asked how her Aunt was feeling and how was the baby "I promise as soon as you get home I will come over and help take care of him. Babies are a lot of work." Sally told her.

Lori had to laugh Sally was a real young lady who really would do what she could to help. She thanked her and looked down at the baby in her arms. She was so proud of the little tyke.

Sally drew a picture for the baby and Aunt Lori and Uncle Mike. She was a pretty good artist and she put the drawing in a notebook so that it would not get damaged. Della smiled at her little girl. She was very thoughtful of everyone.

As Della and Perry were headed out to the hospital the next morning, Della started to think about that she was next. The last time they had been to the doctors it had been once every other week. Next week she too would start her ninth and final month. She couldn't wait.

The visit to the hospital was wonderful and although Lori and Mike both looked tired, they were glad to see them and proudly show off the new baby. Mike's parents were coming out to see the baby that day and his mother was going to stay for a few days to help with the baby. Lori had talked to her mom and dad and they were thrilled to get a picture of the baby. It was indeed a great day.

But there was never a dull day in the life of the Mason family. As Perry and Della arrived at the office, they were met once again by Paul Drake. He had been told about the baby and said that he and Sue would be stopping by to see Lori later on that day.

Paul took his seat in his favorite office chair and opened his notebook. He took a big sip of coffee and started reading to them from his notes. "I have done some checking and Brian did indeed owe Tammy a large sum of money. He had borrowed one thousand dollars from her. But, it turns out that Brian still owed the former owner of the clam shack. He is moving out of town and wanted that money. Brian had spent it all either on the shack or the track and word on the street is that Brian and George Chin had a big argument the day of the murder."

Perry thanked him and thought that perhaps it was time for him and Paul to meet with this George Chin, before he left for parts unknown. Perry got up to go to the Chin house with Paul and nodded to Della. Della knew that it meant that they would be gone for a while so she sat back and went to work on her job.

As Paul and Perry arrived in the neighborhood where George Chin and his wife lived they were impressed. It was an exclusive neighborhood and they had to ring a buzzer at the gate to be let in. Paul gave out a whistle "Brother the clam business must be a lot better than I thought. These are some very expensive homes.

Perry also wanted to know how a man that owned a little clam shack on the beach could afford such luxuries. There was something amiss here. Someone with this money would not be worried about a thousand dollar loan.

George Chin was in his study when he heard the buzzer. His maid came into the study shortly afterward and told him that there were two men at the gate a Perry Mason and a Paul Drake and they wanted permission to come and talk to him.

The last thing that he needed right now was a nosey attorney and private detective, but if he turned them down, they would hound him forever. He sighed and hit the button to let them on the grounds.

When the two friends came up the walkway the front door was opened by a man who introduced himself as George Chin. He took them into a large library and asked them to have a seat. "How may I help you" he asked them trying to appear as calm as possible.

Paul looked him right in the eye and said "We are here investigating the murder that happened at your old clam shack. We were wondering when was the last time that you saw Brian." he told him.

George was doing his best to act as though nothing was bothering him, but Paul and Perry could sense that he was very nervous. "Well, I saw him the day of the murder. I had gone to the clam shack to go over a few of the things and give him a little help." he told them.

Perry looked around at all of the expensive antiques and had seen the sports car in the garage. He wanted Paul to get to work on finding out where all this money came from.

The two men thanked George Chin and left. As Perry went back to the office Paul headed out to find out more about this George Chin.


	8. Chapter 8

Perry Mason went back home to find Della waiting for him in the kitchen with a cup of coffee. He reached over and gave her a big kiss and hug with his large loving arms and they held each other for a few moments.

As Della handed him a coffee they took a seat at the table and Della waited for her husband to tell her about what had happened when they had gone to see George Chin.

Perry took a sip of his much needed coffee and looked at his wife. She was indeed his partner, and he had been so lucky to find her. He smiled and then told her about George Chin. "Della this man who owns a clam shack lives in a home that you and I could never afford. His home is a compound not a home. There is something wrong with a man who lives like that and works at a small shack such as that." he told her.

This was indeed strange. Della thought that perhaps Mr. Chin had just done it for fun. But there had to be something to explain his wealth.

Paul Drake got up in the morning and started to look into George Chin. George Chin was and still was a very successful computer salesman and representative. He went all over the world selling his goods and had a large contact with some of the social media also. His wealth was explained, and unfortunately explained why he no longer wanted to work at the clam shack. His wealth had come in just the past five years or at least most of it.

The Clam Shack had always been a good business, but George Chin was now in his fifties and did not need the income. He sold the business and was planning to move to Arizona soon. But everything seemed a little too convenient and Paul was going to look into him further. But, now he was going to have to dig very deep.

In the meantime Lori and Sue had been busy with the shower that they were going to be having for Della this coming Saturday. Sally wanted to help with the shower and so Lori had told her sister Della that she would like to have Sally come on over and help with little Mike. "Sally has been dying to see him and she has the day off on Friday. This way Jen can have the day off and Aunt Lori can have some time with her niece" Lori told her.

Della was not fooled she knew that her sister was up to something but she was glad that Lori was interested in taking Sally. Della and her best friend Sue along with her sister were now going to be the mothers of five children. Della couldn't be happier.

Sally was so excited to go over to her Aunt Loir's house. She was going to be able to play with her friend Paul and see the babies. She couldn't wait.

At Aunt Loir's Sally worked hard putting together things and coloring pictures for her new baby brother. She also got to hold little Mike and little Maddie. Aunt Lori took pictures of Sally as she smiled with pride in the big chair with the baby in her arms. Sally was very careful and she thought that Maddie smiled at her.

But it was getting time for mommy and daddy to come over for another barb-q at Aunt Lori and Uncle Mike's and everything had to be put away. Sally hurried and helped Aunt Sue and Aunt Lori hide everything and had just finished as Uncle Paul pulled into the driveway.

Paul and Sally ran out to see their dad and uncle and Paul took them both by the hands. He had a busy day and was looking forward to a supper with his friends. There had not been much news about George Chin as of yet, but he had one of his best men working on it for him.

Everyone had arrived at Uncle Mike and Aunt Lori's house by six that evening and they all sat around to enjoy a steak dinner with corn on the cob and potato salad. Everyone ate and enjoyed each other's company together. They were all best of friends and even though the Drake's were not related they were part of the family as far as everyone was concerned.

George Chin was a man of patience, but he thought that he needed to leave town. Paul Drake was not a man to take lightly and Perry Mason was a brilliant lawyer and man. As George made plans to leave for not Arizona but South America he was going to get out of the country, he hoped.

He had started his company very naïve and although he had been in business for years, his computer business had gone through the roof. With the advancement of social media and some wise investments he had become a multi millionaire overnight. But then the competition had started to get to him and he was not doing as well as appearances would indicate.

On a trip to Central America he had been asked to make a small delivery. He knew it was drugs, but they just gave him a package. He had delivered it and then he had gotten deeper and deeper into things. George was sure that the federal government was going to be picking him up soon. Then this pesky murder. He had nothing to do with it, he had just about given the business to those two people.

Now he was being forced to make quick moves and he was worried about what was going to happen to him. He was the fool that had delivered drugs and he was the fool that had spent all that money, and now he was the fool that was going to have to pay he thought to himself.

Ryan Black, was the man who worked for Paul Drake , He was busy looking into things and had come across the talk that George Chin had been involved in drug trafficking. He also found that there was a second and a third mortgage on his house and Mr. Chin was broke.

The next morning at the Mason household Lori got her sister and family to go to the Kavanough once again. Everyone knew that this was her shower, but Perry and Della acted very surprised. The shower was wonderful and Della was thrilled to see her parents and Perry's parents there. Dave came and this time he had not stopped at their house first. They wondered where he had stayed. The shower was a big success.

'Now to finish this investigation and to find out who the murderer is.' Perry thought to himself. The date was now May 8th and the baby was due in thirteen days.

As the shower wound down Paul told Perry about what his man had found out about George Chin. "He is still digging and will get back to me as soon as he hears anything." Paul told him.

The shower over and everyone happy Perry's and Della's parents all came back to the Mason home. The shower was still going on it seemed. Everyone from the family showed up and they had a great time together. Everything was good at the home of the Masons.


	9. Chapter 9

It was Sunday morning and Paul decided to take one last trip to the beach where the Clam Shack was located He knew that something with the murder had to do with George Chin. The weather was getting very warm now, and there were actually a couple of brave people going in the water

There he met Linda getting ready to open the Shack. She was acting as though she was very busy, but Paul could see that she was watching his every move. Linda was a nervous wreck, she had been approached by two men that frightened her. They spoke with a Spanish accent and they had been asking questions, questions she had no idea about. They were there about George she was sure. Now what did Paul Drake want? She wished that people would leave her alone.

Meanwhile Lyle was homeless and neither one of the girls that he had been seeing wanted anything to do with him. Then he had that pesky Paul Drake snooping around with his life. The night before he had spent the night under a bridge and he was not going to put up with that. He had been at the local bar when he heard the news there was a huge raid at George Chin's house. The word on the street was that it had been the FBI. Everyone at the bar knew that his sister had bought the place and wanted to know what he knew. He knew nothing, but he was definitely going to go over and talk to his sister. He left the bar and headed over to the Clam Shack where he knew Linda would be.

Perry was at home working on the case while Della sat next to him working on the laptop. There had to be something on the computer that would give them a hint as to who the guilty person was. She was afraid that George Chin was going to leave town and then they would never find the truth.

But, that morning fate happened to come knocking on George Chin's door. Perry Mason was not the only one concerned that George Chin might leave town or the country, and to Mr. Chin's dismay he was awakened by the FBi and was arrested on drug trafficking charges. As Paul went by the home and saw all the happenings he called Perry.

Della had wondered about the drug part herself. The man had too much money for a local shop owner. He was known to make many trips down to Mexico and Central America and he owned his own private plane. He would be the type of person that would be approached about bringing drugs into the country.

Perry smiled as he leaned over and told Della what had just happened to George Chin. "We don't have to be concerned about Mr. Chin leaving the country the FBI has just picked him up.

Paul had a contact at the local FBI office and he would be contacting him this afternoon. 'Perhaps while they were investigation they found out some things that might help our case.' he thought.

The day was busy and it was Sunday. The whole family was there to celebrate the upcoming birth of their child and Della and Lori had insisted on making a family meal. Della and Perry had a huge formal dining room and everyone would fit easily into the room. Della took out her new china and other decorations for the festivities and Sally set the table.

Sally wanted to help and so she was outside with her daddy and both of her grandpas working on the yard. The Mason's had a gardener so there wasn't much to do, but they were trying to keep out of the way of the women who were busy cooking dinner.

The dinner was fit for a king and as they all enjoyed the perfectly baked ham with pineapples an cherries, there was a lot of laughter and love at the table. The Street family and the Mason family had become as one and the time was great.

The following morning everyone said their good-byes and got Della and Perry to promise them that they would be called as soon as there was any word about the baby. It had been settled Sally was going to stay with her aunt while Della was in the hospital. Sally had stated that although, she wanted to see the baby, she knew that she would have him for his entire life. When her aunt had promised that she would bring her to the hospital to meet her new brother, she was very excited. She had not been allowed to see the other babies, but because this was her brother she could see him. She had been practicing how to hold the baby right for the past few months and she couldn't wait.

Linda was very nervous at her Clam Shack and was thinking about trying to sell it. She no longer could enjoy working there. There was too much work for a single person and she was not making the money that she had hoped she would. Now the business was so busy that she had to hire someone to help her. This was taking more from her profits and she was getting very discouraged.

Lyle was sick and tired of being out on the streets and as he approached the Clam Shack, Linda saw him. She tried to go to the back where he couldn't see her, but she was too late. "Don't bother trying to hide Linda, I see you." he called from the front of the booth.

"What do you want Lyle?" she demanded.

"What I have to say is private Linda. I don't think that you want the whole world to hear what I have to say."

Linda knew that it was useless to argue and as she went around the back to meet him she cringed. Lyle was no good and she wondered what he was going to have to say. "I have news for you dearie. Today there was a raid at George Chin's house. He has been dealing drugs probably right out of here. You will be next. They probably will be raiding you soon." he laughed.

Linda panicked he was right. She had always thought that perhaps her boss had been doing something other than running the Clam Shack. Now what was she going to do? She had no money and if the FBI came she would surely go to jail. She looked up at Lyle and asked him "What should I do?"

Lyle smiled, he liked being in control of people's lives and he knew that Linda was in trouble deep trouble. He put his arm around her and told her "Don't worry Linda I have a plan."


	10. Chapter 10

Everyone had gone home and the Mason household was finally back down to just four people. The four of them lived in peace and harmony and were looking forward to the birth of the baby.

Sally was upstairs with her mom getting things ready. They had everything done in blue and white for the little boy. There was a picture of little boy blue on the wall. Together they put the sheets on the basinet and the new blankets that she had gotten at the shower.

Perry came into the room and smiled. The room was ready for the birth of their son and he couldn't wait. He took his wife and daughter in his arms and held them close. The room looked great, the nanny was great and Della was done with work.

That morning they had an appointment at the doctors. Della hoped that this was going to be her last appointment. The baby was due in just six days and a week from now she would be considered overdue.

Della and Perry dropped Sally off at school and headed to the doctor's office. As Della took her place on the table the doctor came in with a smile. He gave her an examination and told her "It looks as though the baby might be right on time. You are showing signs that labor could start at any time. I want you to stay in town. Have you stopped work yet?" he asked.

"My last day was Friday and I will stay around town. We can't wait for the baby." Della told him.

As Perry left Della at the house, he was very nervous. "You give me a call if you feel anything. I don't like leaving you." he told her.

"I am not going to be alone. Jen is here and Lori and little Mike are coming over this afternoon." she told him.

When Perry left Della called Sally's aunt and let her know that the doctor had told her that she could go very soon.

Michelle Jones was at home thinking about her niece Sally. She missed her and her mother and father. She wondered if Sally thought about her life before she lived with the Masons. But, she would have a chance to see her and have her for a few days and she was determined that they were going to have a good time. She was going to have her nephew over to see her too. She couldn't wait to see her. After all it had now been almost three months since Sally had taken the last name Mason and she had agreed to an open adoption.

Perry came into the office and was hard at work when he heard the knock on the door. He opened the back door to Paul Drake who came into the room and took a seat in his favorite chair. " I have been a busy fellow lately. The Clam Shack hit the market this morning. Linda cannot take the stress of running the shack by herself. I spoke to my contact at the local FBI office and found out that George Chin has been smuggling drugs for a while and has been watched by the FBI for weeks. He has been using the shack as a front. The FBI has no information on the murder, though. Once the shack was sold they stopped keeping an eye on the place." Paul told him.

Perry looked at Paul and told him, "We are missing something. I want to have you dig a little deeper."

With that Paul left and Perry went back to his work.

Meanwhile Della had gone into the study to do some more on line investigating. She knew that Linda had a brother, and she decided that it would be a good idea to look into him. She was busy most of the morning and had just gone into the kitchen to get some lunch when Lori showed up. Lori was carrying little Mike and Della ran to pick him up. He was getting so big.

They spent the afternoon together enjoying the baby and just spending the day as sisters. When Perry and Mike got home Della and Lori had made them a large meal. Della was now eating for two and she had quite an appetite. The four of them celebrated the time together. But Loir and Della were both tired and so the gathering ended early.

Sally was in all her glory with her parents and her aunt and uncle. She had been thinking about her parents lately. In just three weeks it would be a year since they were killed in the car accident. She missed them terribly and now she was going to go and stay with her aunt Michelle. She loved her aunt, and she missed her. It was going to be fun to stay with her for a few days.

The nest day Della went to work in the study again. Today her husband had no appointments until ten and he was going to work from home. Della was busy on her laptop. It was then that she thought about George Chin. He was married, and he did have a wife. 'What about her?' she thought.

That was when Della started to look into Marie Chin. Marie was younger than her husband and there were tons of pictures that had been posted on line. She was going through the many pictures, when she saw something. There among all the photos was a picture of Brian. She looked and looked but saw no other photos. Of course Brian had worked at the shack for the past five years. Perhaps that is how he came to be in a picture.

Della thought for a moment and decided to call Paul Drake. When she talked to Paul, he said that he would look right into it. She was glad that she was done with work for a few weeks. Della was tired and just lay her head down on the couch in the family room for what she thought was a few minutes. But, when she woke up Jen had gone and gotten Sally at school and it was almost four o'clock.

Paul in the meantime had been busy checking out Marie Chin. She and George had not been married for very long. He was successful in finding out that she was having an affair. The affair was with Brian. He called Perry and told him what he had found out. The two men went over to the Chin home and this time were let in by Marie.

The two men spoke to the lady who was on her way out of town then. They saw the suitcases in the hallway. Perry knew that she was the murderer then. He approached her with a kind face, but firm. "Mrs. Chin, we have found out that you and Brian were having an affair. He was trying to break it off. Tell us what happened that night."

Marie Chin knew that the men in front of her knew what she had done. The guilt had laid heavy on her and she was sort of glad to admit the truth. She spoke slowly and quietly to the men in front of her. "I went to the Clam Shack to bet Brian to take me back. I was willing to give him all the money he needed and anything to keep him. But he would not listen. I remember pulling the gun and hearing the shot, and then he was lying there on the ground. I didn't mean to do it." she cried.

Perry picked up the phone and placed a call to Lt Tragg. He then headed over to the Reed home and let them know that Eric was free and that Marie was the murderer. Eric and Nancy were very thankful and glad that the real murderer had been found. But, they thought of Brian and how he had lost his life over something as silly as an affair.

That night when Perry got home he told Della what had happened. He was going to be in court to get everything dropped against Eric and the case would be officially closed. That evening the two of them got everything ready for the court and went to bed late once more.

The next day Perry went to court and took care of any charges that were remaining in the courthouse against Eric. It was a mere formality and Eric was released by eleven that morning. He thanked Perry for his help and once more an innocent man went free.

Della was very sleepy that day and could barely find the energy to get up. She couldn't figure out what was going on. After Perry went to work and she brought Sally to school she went back to bed. When she woke up it was after eleven and she heard the kitchen door open. It was Perry, he had come home for lunch. He was worried about his wife. She seemed very tired and the baby was due tomorrow.

They ate their lunch together, but Della didn't have much of an appetite. She was excited that another case had been solved. Marie Chin had never even come into their thoughts until yesterday. She was nearly overlooked.

Perry had wanted to stay with Della that afternoon, but she insisted that he go back to the office. She promised that she would take it easy and Jen was there anyways. That afternoon Sally had girl scouts . Everyone wanted to know about the baby and everyone said how good Della looked. Della didn't feel as though she looked good. She was very tired and was glad when the meeting was over.

That night Della was not in the mood for cooking and ordered Chinese food out. When Perry got home he was surprised to see the boxes with the food in them that had just been delivered to the house. The four of them had a good supper, but once again Della didn't eat very much.

Sally was abound with stories of what happened at school and Girl Scouts. But she even senses that her mother wasn't acting normal. The Mason household went to bed early that night. It was around two that morning that Della felt the first tinge. It wasn't much, but it woke her up. She had gone into the bathroom when her water broke. It was time to wake Perry.

Della turned around to go into the bedroom and nearly ran into Perry . He saw and got excited. He gave the doctor a call and they were told that they could come to the hospital at anytime. But Della knew that it was going to be a while. As the hours went by she was unable to get much rest. But when it finally reached six in the morning and they could hear Jen and Sally stirring, they went downstairs and told them the news.

Sally was so excited. She was going to be an older sister today. "Yeah."

As Della took a seat at the table, she watched everyone eat. She was not hungry at all. The pains were starting to get a little more frequent and she thought that they were getting harder. After breakfast Della called Lori and her parents. Lori said she would call Sue and let her know.

Perry called into the office and had them cancel all of his appointments. After Sally went to school they called Michelle. She said that she would be picking up Sally from school. Della decided that it was time to head to the hospital. Her bag had been packed for days. As they headed to the hospital, Della took one last look at the house that she and Perry had bought and couldn't wait to bring Perry Jr home.

The day went as planned and at four thirty that afternoon Perry Mason Jr was born . He was healthy and weighed in at eight pounds four ounces and had a length of twenty-one inches. As the family spent time together for the first time they heard a knock on the door. It was Sally and her Aunt Michelle. Della and Perry let Sally take a seat in the chair where she held the baby. They took a picture of her and Perry Jr.

The baby had dark hair, but Perry's deep blue eyes. As a picture was taken of the whole family together. Everyone came and saw the baby and on the twenty-third of May baby Perry and family went to their new home to start a new life.


End file.
